Hey! I Wanted to Eat That!

Those of you who know me well, know that I hate to waste food.  Especially restaurant food.  Whether its the handful of fries that everyone tells me "you can't heat up," the left over veggies that didn't get eaten or the toast that I never touch at breakfast, I always have the urge to get them 'to-go' (even if they weren't on my plate). Add in the fact that I rarely ever finish a full restaurant meal, so I almost always get a second meal out of it). I'm not sure if it's that I paid for the food so I am definitely going to get my money's worth or if it's that I know that it's going straight into the garbage and directly to the landfill.

Either way... in my mind food waste = money waste.  Check out this video that I created for my ecopreneurship class!

Plus... there is just so much you can do with left overs. Cut up the fries, toss them in the frying pan to crisp up, add veggies and an egg and Voila... Breakfast! Add a chicken breast to left over pasta and you have another meal.  The possibilities are endless so why not take advantage of them.

Here is my issue though... The containers. I really don't need a giant-sized Styrofoam or plastic take out container that for a little bit of food.  And to make matters worse... We can't even recycle these in Halton so when I get home I have to throw the container in the garbage anyways.  For me it turns into a toss up.  Do I waste the food (and the money) or do I waste the container?

In most cases, my desire to get another meal out of my purchase wins, so to combat this I have, on many occasions, brought a container with me. Now even though my purse is ginormous so that I can hold my water bottles and coffee mugs, toting a large container around on top of all that can be quite a pain! So instead I have been on the hunt for an alternative.

In my research, I've seen many people keep ziplocks in their bags, but because using less ziplocks this year is my resolution... I'm choosing to avoid that one. I could keep on of my lunchskin bags in my purse, but most meals would either end up smushed or result in food being spread throughout the inside of my purse. Not ideal! 

I recently came across an article on the We Hate To Waste web site called 'The Future of Doggie Bags' (http://www.wehatetowaste.com/doggie-bags/) and I found the solution to all of my food problems... Collapsible Silicone Containers! You know, like the collapsible strainers etc. Toss it in my purse before heading out to eat and it won't take up a ton of space and then pop it open and fill it with food before I leave.  It seems like the perfect solution!

I haven't purchased anything yet - I was trying to look for them at some of my local shops downtown but came up dry. So now I just have to find the right brand and order it online. I'm excited! Has anyone seen these around, or have them at home? Any other ideas to deal with your leftovers?

My Green Resolution

My Green Resolution this year - reduce the amount of plastic ziplock bags I use to store food. When I was back at school, I got very good at this but since I've moved back home I have found myself slipping... This has got to change!

Surprisingly, this is a really easy change to make and it will save you money as well! Instead of using a bag once and throwing it out you can make the switch to reusable containers and bags - with very little cost.

Every person I know has a stash of reusable plastic containers in their cupboards... the lucky ones even have some glass ones tucked away.  So instead of a ziplock bag, store your leftovers in those containers and take them with you in your lunch to work, or send them to school with your kids favourite snack inside!

As much as I love containers, I find that if I were to bring a container for every item that I pack in my lunch I would have to bring at least two lunch bags to hold them all. For some items (like veggies, almonds, snack foods etc) containers can be a little bulky. Instead, I use reusable sandwich bags.

I ordered mine from www.lunchskins.com and I love them! They velcro shut, they can go straight in the dishwasher, they sit flat when they are empty (therefore they take up little space) and the best part... they come in all different sizes and colours. LOVE!!

There are many other different brands of bags. Some close with velcro, others zipper shut.. they come in different shapes and sizes.  For Christmas I received a sandwich wrap bag that you can adjust to the size of your sandwich. Handy! I've shown the instructions here.

There are lots of different options... you just have to go out and find them. I have seen many groupons and wag jags etc for bags like this so keep an eye out - or look up coupons online - so that you can get the best deal!

Somethings to keep in mind 

• If you are going to be microwaving your food, try to use glass containers. Plastic containers break down in the microwave and can leech chemicals into your food. 
• Also make sure you don't put juicy/messy foods into your reusable bags - they will wreak havoc on your lunch bag! 

Keep at it and you will be amazed at how few ziplock bags you will go through and how much money you will save in 2013 and beyond!

What is your Green Resolution??

For more easy ways to make a difference this year, check out this article:

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/10-easy-green-new-years-resolutions-for-the-eco-slacker